


One Detail

by FandomsMJ



Category: Jonny Quest, The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest
Genre: Gen, Past Character Death, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:08:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24324781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FandomsMJ/pseuds/FandomsMJ
Summary: The future Hadji visited seemed to be the best he could hope for... except for one detail.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 8





	1. Into the Past

**Author's Note:**

> So this idea hit me, and I just had to write it. It was originally meant to be a quick oneshot... but it quickly mutated into something a little bigger.

It wasn't often that Hadji entered QuestWorld. He preferred monitoring while Jonny and Jessie enjoyed the virtual world. He had nothing against the VR world, it just didn't interest him as much as it did his friends. Besides, when things went wrong he'd rather be on the outside working to fix it than trapped on the inside. 

Speaking off, there seemed to be quite a major glitch in the game. A vortex had appeared in the exploration/adventure game and was sucking in everything that wasn't firmly attached to the ground. Hadji might have thought it was an obstacle in the game's design... but he and Jonny had programmed this game themselves and there was no such thing in the game files. 

Distantly, he heard Dr. Quest and Jessie rushing to shut down QuestWorld, or trying to at least. It seemed the vortex didn't want to let the system shut down. There was something vaguely familiar about it, but Hadji couldn't place it. Hopefully the vortex wasn't as dangerous as it seemed as the branch he'd been clinging to finally broke off. 

Jonny cried out, reaching for his hand. He was too far away, there wasn't a chance. Hadji saw his own fear in his brother's azure eyes just before the vortex took him. There was a bright flash, then he was falling. 

He grunted as he hit the ground. He scrambled to his feet, looking around. The first thing he saw was the vortex. Before he could even consider possibly going back through it flickered then vanished. Now he was looking at a forest - a real forest. No matter how advanced QuestWorld got it still couldn't replace the real thing. 

Turning, Hadji saw a familiar manor. Well, at least he hadn't gone far. Yet things seemed... different. As he walked towards it - carefully stepping over and around the debris from the VR forest (which were now quite real) - he could see things had changed. The Quest Compound he knew was only a year or so old, the original having been destroyed three years prior. This building he approached now looked as if it had been there for decades. 

The manor and the grounds were well cared for, but time always found a way to leave its mark. And it was quite a big mark to Hadji. Still, he cautiously approached the manor. With any luck, it was still the Quest Compound. If it wasn't... well, he'd figure something out. 

It turned out he had nothing to worry about. The door swung open as he approached, a disembodied female voice greeting him, "Welcome home, Hadji." 

He murmured a quiet - albeit slightly uncertain - thank you as he entered the house. He heard a child's squeal from the kitchen then small footsteps running in his direction. It didn't take long for the auburn-haired little girl to appear around the corner. She skidded to a halt, happy grin turning to a look of confusion. 

Only a brief moment passed before the child was running again, darting into the living room screaming for her grandfather. The only thing Hadji could hope for was the man who answered would be someone he'd known in the present. True, the computer system had recognized him and let him in, but who knew how many new faces were around now? 

The computer being able to identify him meant it'd be easy to prove who he was, but that didn't mean he'd know the person asking the questions. Hearing footsteps he looked back towards the kitchen. "Rae?" A black-haired woman poked her head into the hall. Her confused look turned to one of surprise when she saw him. Muttering a quiet "Nope" she retreated. 

Before Hadji could decide whether or not he should follow her or the child, he heard yet another set of approaching footsteps. "Hadji?" The voice had aged, but he still recognized that deep voice. 

"Race." That single word wasn't enough to convey his relief at finally finding a familiar - albeit older - face. Despite knowing Race would be older, Hadji still needed a moment to take in just how much had changed. 

The man had to be in his sixties by now, yet despite the wrinkles, new ( _to Hadji at least_ ) scars, and the clouded and unfocused left eye Race still looked like he was ready to run off on the next adventure. Would he ever slow down? Hadji doubted it. A thought that concerned him yet also brought him some comfort. At least twenty years had passed and yet there were still some things that never changed. 

But there were a lot of things that had and he didn't even know where to start with the millions of questions floating around his head. 

Race at least had some idea where to start, "Come on, we've got a lot to talk about." He turned back towards the living room, glancing back to make sure Hadji was following, "Starting with how you got here." 

* * *

In spite of the situation, Race couldn't help but give a quiet chuckle after Hadji finished recounting how he'd gotten twenty years into the future. The seventeen-year-old (seventeen, how long ago that had been) gave him a confused look. "I remember that day, took Doc a good couple hours to figure out how to get you back." 

He still remembered wondering how Benton had kept his sanity in those hours. Until they figured out just what that vortex was, there had been a real possibility they'd lost Hadji forever. Of course, finding out what the vortex had been was the easy part, getting him back... that had been a lot more complicated. 

Hadji gave a quiet sigh of relief. Really, did he doubt he'd be able to go home? Like they would have ever given up on bringing him home. Granted, Race hadn't been much help back then. The VR world and its programs were never his forte. He'd felt so useless back then, but at least on this side of the event he could do something more than pace and watch. 

"How long until I return to the present?" Hadji asked. 

Race shrugged, "Hard to say. You didn't tell us much about what happened in the future - something about not screwing up the timeline - so it could be a couple hours or a few days." 

"At least my... adventure is remembered, that will make it easier to explain," Hadji murmured. Especially if he ran into himself... though that could cause problems on a universal scale. Some theories suggested encountering oneself via time travel would spell disaster while other theories suggested that it would be no issue. Hadji really didn't want to put either to the test. 

"The compound's pretty empty right now," Race admitted. "It's jus' me and the kid." 

Hadji frowned, "What about the black-haired woman?" 

"Black-haired woman?" Race frowned. He couldn't be talking about Jade - for reasons too painful to think about - so that would leave only one. "She must have dropped in for a visit. I don't think you've met her yet - in the present I mean." 

Hadji shook his head. "Who is she?" 

"Someone you'll have to wait to meet in the present," Race answered, remember the grave warnings of how the timeline could be irreversibly damaged if too much was known. He didn't think Hadji would be as likely to tamper with things as one of the other kids, but human nature was human nature. 

Though, Race couldn't deny it was tempting to warn Hadji, to let him know of future events. There were a lot of things he could stop. A lot of things that could be changed. There was also a lot that could be lost. If Jade was saved would that condemn someone else to die instead? If he got to keep sight in his left eye, would that condemn one of the others to lose something? Race couldn't take that chance. 

"What about the others?" Hadji asked. "You said it was just supposed to be you and the little girl in the compound, where is everyone else?" 

"Meetings," Race answered simply. Not the same one of course, but it was the easy answer. Kept him from having to explain why there was one name not on the list of "everyone else". 

"Intelligence One," Hadji guessed. 

"I can't answer that Hadj." Race shook his head. He was right for the most part though. 

"I do not think Jonny, Jessie, and I following in the footsteps of you and Doctor Quest is much of a spoiler, Race." He had that knowing look in his eyes. It wasn't intended to be smug, but it always felt like smugness was implied. After all, he knew something he really should have no way of knowing. How he managed it, Race _still_ didn't know. 

"Perhaps," Race murmured. There was a crash somewhere within the house and he sighed. "That dog," he muttered. Could dogs be reincarnated? Because it seemed like Bandit was back in the house, albeit in the form of a beagle. He got up to see what had happened now, leaving Hadji to his thoughts. 

When he returned several minutes later, Hadji was gone. A soft gasp from the next room told him exactly where the kid had gone. Race walked into the study and stopped when he found Hadji standing in front of the fireplace looking at the mantel. He didn't need to ask what it was that had his attention. There was only one thing it could be. 


	2. Taking a Risk

Admittedly, Hadji wasn't sure why he'd gone into the study. Perhaps it was simply because it was one of the most comforting rooms in the manor. The bookshelves lining the walls held a vast collection of books and knowledge, the fire offered a comfortable warmth and glow, and the arm chairs were almost easy to fall asleep in. Many rainy evenings had been spent here. He was glad to see it hadn't changed much in the last twenty years. 

There was something though, something added to the mantel. He moved over to study it and almost wished he hadn't. The rectangular box of polished stone didn't seem all that important - until one read the plaque on the front. The name Dr. Benton Quest was engraved on it, two dates the first roughly sixty-six years ago, the other... twenty years ago. 

Twenty years from the time Hadji was in now, two months away from the time he had come from. Death came for all eventually, but to know it would happen so soon... He shut his eyes, bowing his head. He didn't hear the footsteps, the hand on his shoulder startled him and his head shot up to look at Race. 

"How?" Hadji asked. "How did Father die?" 

Race sighed, "I can't tell you that Hadj, you know that." 

"Could I have stopped it?" he asked. 

Race shook his head, sadness in his eyes, "No one could have stopped it." 

"Then how did it happen?" Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew better, but he asked anyway.

Race sighed, shoulder's slumping slightly. Hadji recognized the look. He was giving in, despite his better judgement. "It was a sudden heart attack," he said quietly, the slightest tremor of emotion in his voice. "He was gone before he ever got to the hospital." 

Hadji moved to sit in one of the chairs, gaze on the maroon carpet. "A heart attack," he murmured softly after a moment. 

"Hawk never believed that." The voice had matured quite a bit, but Hadji still recognized it. He raised his head to look over at the man that'd entered the study. Admittedly, he couldn't say he was surprised to see a streak of white in Jonny's blond hair. 

"What do you mean?" Hadji asked. 

"There was no cause, no reason for him to have the heart attack," Jonny answered. "Hawkins said the only evidence of a heart attack was the symptoms we described. It was like nothing she'd ever seen before." 

"Jonny, we've been over this..." Race sighed. 

"I know, we never found the answer," Jonny said. "But I know it wasn't a heart attack." 

"Do you have any theories as to what it could have been?" Hadji asked. 

"No." Race's eyes were locked with Jonny's as he spoke, and it didn't take much guesswork to figure out it was a silent warning. "We never found anything." 

"Something got in his bloodstream." There was a defiant look Hadji wasn't used to in his brother's eyes. "We just don't know what it was or how it got in." 

"Jonathan that's enough." Race's voice had that edge to it. The one that signaled the discussion was over. 

It was the first time Hadji ever witnessed Jonny not backing down against that tone, "This is a chance to save him." 

"No," Hadji said softly. 

"What?" The look of betrayal would forever be engraved in his mind. "What do you mean, 'no'? Don't you want to save Dad?" 

"Whatever I choose to do has already been done." That much was obvious by how Race had remembered him time traveling. "The outcome remains. Even if I had tried to save him, it did not work." 

"So you're just... not going to try?" Jonny looked as if he couldn't believe it. 

"I shouldn't," Hadji murmured, lowering his gaze. But he knew he'd never be able to just let it go. To just mentally prepare himself and stand by. He wasn't strong enough to do that. 

"But you're going to." Jonny had learned to get better at reading people over the years. 

Even knowing it wouldn't work, he knew he had to try. Just so he knew he had tried to do something. It might not make the pain easier to bear, but it would keep him from wondering what would have happened if he had attempted it.

* * *

Though the warnings of not screwing with the timeline still echoed in his mind, Race didn't try to stop Hadji as he looked into the details of Benton's death. Jonny had already decided the risks were worth it and what he'd already told Hadji couldn't be taken back. Never mind the fact if Race tried to stop the boys they'd just find a way around - they always did. 

So he let them work, and hoped everything would turn out alright. Admittedly, he didn't know if he was hoping Hadji was right and the future would remain untouched, or if he was hoping he'd be wrong and Benton would be saved. The multiple scenarios weighed heavily on Race's mind, though it didn't to any good to worry about it. He wouldn't be able to change things one way or the other. 

That said, he and Jonny were going to have to talk about this. Race wasn't looking forward to that discussion. Things had gotten pretty tense between them over the years. Admittedly he wasn't sure why. He doubted he'd get an answer if he asked. He could only hope he'd figure it out before things got too bad. 

He shook his head, turning his attention back to the task at hand. Doing dishes wasn't exactly a fun activity, but it was something to do. 

"There is a dishwasher, you know." The sudden voice made him jump and he whirled around to see the woman leaning against the counter with her arms crossed over her chest. "Sorry, forgot it was your left." 

"No you're not," he grumbled, turning back to the sink. He didn't need to look to see the shrug, or her hopping up to sit on the counter. 

"Yeah, either I'm getting good, or you're getting old." He could hear the grin in her voice. 

"Don't get your hopes up kid," he replied turning to grab a dish towel. He tossed it over to her, "You may as well help." He heard her feet hit the floor and she came around to his other side where he could actually see her out of the corner of his eye.   
  
"I could be helping them," she commented, nodding her head in the direction of the window looking out at the lighthouse. "I'm sure I could dig up some details they wouldn't be able to." 

"So why don't you?" Race asked. "After all, isn't taking major risks your favorite thing to do?" He couldn't help the scolding note in his voice. 

"There's dancing with death, then there's dancing with hell," she answered as she took the rinsed mug and began drying it. "Life means little, enjoyment however is worth more than any riches. I would have loved to have gotten to know the good doctor, but if that risks what I have now... it doesn't seem worth it to me." 

"I suppose it wouldn't," Race murmured. 

"Do you think they can do it?" she asked. 

He shook his head. "If Hadji's right, what he does has already happened." 

"And if he's wrong?" The nonchalant mask was cracking, some of her worries beginning to surface. How much would things change? Would they be better or worse? 

As much as he missed Benton, Race had twenty years to come to terms with what had happened. He could take a step back and weigh the risks. He would love to have his closest friend back, but knowing the cost could possibly be Jessie, or Jonny, or Hadji... it was a risk he couldn't take. A risk Benton would _murder_ him for taking if it didn't pay off. Though, if it was his life that was lost instead... he could accept that.   
  
Not that anyone would know. If the timeline changed they would be none the wiser.   
  
Race sighed, "I just hope we're not trading one life for another." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those wondering about the woman, she is a character I have planned to appear in another story. I couldn't resist testing her out a bit here though.


	3. The Conclusion

Jonny didn't know how long he and Hadji had been working in the VR lab. They'd gathered as much information as possible - even going as far as to reach out to Dr. Hawkins to ask her for the necessary files. No matter what scenario they ran in QuestWorld they just couldn't find the answer. Jonny knew it had to be somewhere, they had to find it eventually. After all, this was the future, they had all the time in the world. 

Once Hadji went back however, the clock would be ticking. Granted, if his brother was right it wouldn't matter, but Jonny wasn't giving up hope. He couldn't give up. If there was even a chance, no matter how slim... he had to take it. 

Something Race didn't seem to understand anymore. 

"Hadji, it's time." Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Jonny frowned as he took off the VR headset, setting it on the table before following them out of the lighthouse. 

The portal was obvious even from here. It had been a long time since he'd seen it, but he recognized the time portal. What he'd give to have access to that time machine program again... but _someone_ had completely erased it. Jonny stood on the path next to Race, watching as Hadji entered the forest. Not long after the portal vanished. 

"It's up to him now," Jonny murmured. 

"If he's right, we already have the answer," Race warned. 

"So what the hell were you worried about then?" Jonny couldn't help the bitterness in his voice as he glared at Race. 

"If he's wrong, that's a major event that'll be changed. And that's a change that will have repercussions," Race answered sternly. "I'd give almost anything to have Benton back, but a life for a life? What if it costs Jessie or Hadji? Or Rae? Or you? That's the risk you're taking Jonny. And we both know he wouldn't have wanted that." 

"You don't know that's what the risks are," Jonny snarled. "Besides, how can you know what he would want? He's _dead_. That was my only chance at saving him, I had to take it." 

He started for the manor, not wanting to discuss it further. Though even with anger bubbling in his veins he knew he'd be lying if he said Race was wrong.

* * *

The next day Race couldn't shake the feeling something was wrong. Well, not necessarily wrong, just... off. What, he couldn't quite tell. He ran through a mental list, Jessie and Hadji were still at the scientific meeting, Jonny was currently trying to get Rae to settle down for a nap... the dog was quiet. Wait, Bagel (Jonny had thought that was a clever name for some reason) was almost never quiet. Unless he was napping of course. 

Yep, there he was, laying on the floor in front of the fireplace. Well, that explained that. Looks like he wasn't the only one taking a nap either. Race did his best not to chuckle as he saw Benton slumped over the desk, snoring softly. He didn't know why, but he glanced at the fireplace. 

Why did he feel like something was missing from the mantel? 


End file.
